When I was younger, my mother and I used to spend Sunday afternoons driving around looking at houses in pretty neighborhoods. At the time, we lived in a small home in the Des Moines/SeaTac area. Today, my mother has worked her way up to a beautiful rustic cabin-style home in Gig Harbor. However, when we get together, we still love to admire the gorgeous houses in Seattle and the way they look in the Northwest’s unique silvery light.
If you’re interested in buying a home in the Seattle area, here’s a quick guide to some of the common architectural styles that you’ll see around the city. Be sure to contact Pickett Street at at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com to get started finding your home.
1. Victorian
Often found around the Queen Anne neighborhood and mostly built during the 1880s and 1890s, these elegant homes are among the oldest in Seattle. Common features of this style include a gabled roof, scalloped shingle siding on the upper level, covered porches with round columns, and a round or octagonal turret.
Check out this gorgeous, romantic, and renovated Victorian in Capitol Hill.
2. Tudor
Built in Seattle through the 1930s, Tudor homes are known for their steeply pitched roofs, side gables, and decorative half-timbering on the exterior. For an example of a Tudor architectural style, you might try a tour of Seattle’s famous Stimson Green house, built in 1901.
Here is a modern example of a sweet Tudor home in the Magnolia neighborhood.
3. Seattle Box (Four-Square)
Though it was originally a way for fussy Victorians to respond to the rambling Queen Anne architecture, Seattle Box homes feature plenty of charm of their own. These homes are known for their almost perfectly square shape, their two-story simplicity, and their large front porches with blocky columns. They are commonly found in Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill.
4. Craftsman Bungalow
Mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s, Craftsman bungalows have thick squared columns, a gabled roof with overhanging eaves, trim around windows and doors, and a solid, wood-heavy look. Due to the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition and Seattle’s subsequent population boom, you can find Craftsman homes all over Seattle. These houses replaced the large, ornate Tudor and Victorian homes with simpler, more relaxed living spaces for Seattle’s growing middle class.
I love this example of a Seattle Craftsman in Fremont.
5. Mid-century Modern
This is my personal favorite Seattle architectural design. What’s not to like about a living space oozing swanky, 1950s and 60s Mad Men-chic style? These homes commonly feature “cathedral” ceilings, expansive decks with views, and brick or stone veneers. There are many mid-century modern style homes in Magnolia, View Ridge, and West Seattle.
6. Northwest Contemporary Minimalist (NW Modern)
This style is unique to the Pacific Northwest. It refers to a modern architectural design–sleek lines, flat or shed roof lines, open floor plans, and lots of glass–with a Northwest flair, which usually includes natural materials such as unpainted wood and earth tones. This style of home highlights the Northwest’s wild beauty.
Here’s a stunning example of Northwest Contemporary in Seattle’s Crownhill neighborhood– notice its clean lines, high ceilings, and bright timber.
With its wide variety of architectural styles, Seattle has something for everyone. Contact Pickett Street to get in touch with a professional realtor who can help you find the perfect home: (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com.